Science and Faith
by NWalshe
Summary: HIATUS. An Old Pain Returns to John's life and drags the Tracy's to the city that never sleeps so that he can beat it. But as the Tracys take New York they find love, music, science and faith in the colourful lights.
1. Old Pains

Preview 1- Science and Faith

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><p>Jonathan Glenn Tracy (24) knew pain very well, it was like an old friend of his. At 11 he'd lost his mom with caused him a lot of emotional pain , he'd been beaten up many times in school so he knew a lot about that kind of pain. But at 15 he experienced a new very intense pain brought on by something his father said would make him better, he knew this was true but he still didn't like it. This pain was caused by Chemotherapy to cure Hodgkin's Lymphoma, which is a form of cancer. John suffered for almost 8 months with this stupid disease and the awful treatment to cure it. Even though all this John still graduated from high school at 16 and went to Harvard and graduated from there at 19 with a degree in astrophysicist and astronomy. After leaving Harvard he went to work for NASA and became one of the youngest people every to go into space at the age of 21 he then left to work with this dad and brothers in the IR. He was happy. But little did he know that he would soon have to relive all the pain from his youth.<p>

John groaned as he walked into the kitchen of his family's island home. His back was aching, the back of his neck hurt, even though he had around 10 hours of sleep he was still tried, his stomach was killing him and his head was throbbing. His first though was he had an hangover but he didn't have that much to drink the night before. When he entered the kitchen his father, Scott and Virgil were in there. Jeff was reading a paper, Scott (26) was drinking coffee and Virgil(22) was typing away on his laptop.

"You okay son?" Jeff asked concern thick in his voice, every time John got ill he got worried, really worried.

"Been better." John mumbled sitting across from his dad.

"What's wrong?" Scott asked. Virgil was still typing away on his computer. John explained everything that was wrong with him. When he finished Virgil suddenly stopped typing and looked at John with concern in his eyes. The medical side of Virgil took over.

"John I need you to answer a few questions. Okay?" John nodded confused. "Where is the back pain?"

"My lower back." John answered.

"The Pain in your neck were is it localized?"

"Either side of my spin but not in the middle."

"you cut yourself shaving yesterday how long did it bleed for?"

"A few minutes why is that important?" John asked.

"One more question. How much do you weigh and how much did you weigh before you last went up to TB5"

"I weigh about 126 pounds and I used to weigh about 140 pounds before I went up."

"First even before you went up you were underweight you had a BMI of 17.53 you know have a BMI of 14.09 which is really unhealthy. But you need a blood test." Virgil said.

"Why does he need a blood test?" Jeff asked.

"It's better if I didn't say." Virgil said.

"Virgil." Jeff said.

"You should reorganise the symptoms Dad." he said. Jeff thought for a few minutes before it finally hit him.

"No. It can't be. It just can't be." Jeff muttered.

" I don't know dad but it looks like it." Virgil said.

"Can someone explain?" John said.  
>"That would be nice" Scott said.<p>

"John, all of the stuff you explained are early symptoms of Hodgkin's Lymphoma. It could mean that your cancer has returned." Virgil said.

"Give me the blood test now." John said.

An hour later John sat in his father's office with Scott and his dad. Every possibility was running though his head. Virgil could only determine his white blood cell count with the blood test but that could show whether he need to see his oncologist in New York ( John had to have check ups once a year so they still paid his oncologist). Virgil came in to the office with a worried look on his face.

"We're taking a trip to New York." Virgil said.

"Fuck." John muttered.


	2. The Truth is Out

They made an appointment with Dr Jenkins ( John's doctor) in New York. The whole family were going but Gordon(19) and Alan(16) had no idea why. John was scared, very scared. He didn't want to have to go though all that pain again. The morning of his appointment he was staring out of the window of his family's penthouse apartment wondering what would happen if his doctor told him he'd relapsed. The only thing he knew for certitude would happen if he had relapsed the IR would be shut down until he recovered. His brothers kept staring at him from across the dinning table it was starting to annoy him.

"Are you okay Johnny?" Gordon asked.

"Yeah why do you ask?" John said.

"Alan and I were wondering if you were okay cause we heard you talking to dad about Dr Jenkins and we started to wonder if you were okay." he said.

"I have a check up that's all." John said.

"I thought you have check ups in October." Alan said.

"So, what is everyone doing to day?" Scott asked.

"I'm going to the visit a friend of mine at Juilliard." Virgil said.

"Alan and I are going to the Apple store cause Alan broke his I-Pod." Gordon said.

"Gordon! It was an accident dad. I dropped it in the pool." Alan said.  
>"It's okay Alan just get a new one." He said handing his youngest son his credit card. Jeff was to worried to care. "John we have to go." He said getting up and grabbing his coat. John followed.<p>

"Where are they going?" Alan asked.

"It doesn't matter Alan, not yet anyway." Scott said. None of them thought it was the right idea to tell Gordon and Alan until the were sure.

John stood outside the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, he was afraid to go in. His father stood next to him, he could tell his father was terrified. Around 10 minutes he was sitting in Dr Jenkins office scared out of his mind. Dr Jenkins came in he looked as worried as Jeff did.

"I wish we were meeting again under better circumstances. So John what seems to be the problem?" Dr Jenkins said. John explained the events of the last few days and Dr Jenkins sent him for tests. Around a hour later he was sitting back in Dr Jenkins office, his hands were shaking and he was terrified. Dr Jenkins was came in and he didn't look happy.

"I'm sorry." he said. John placed his head in his hands. He knew what was coming.

"It back, isn't it?" John muttered.

"Yes, it's in the early stages, very early stages. The fact that your brother noticed the early symptoms quickly did a lot of good. We want to start you on Chemotherapy in 2 weeks, at first we want to do a 6 month cycle with 2 treatments a month." Dr Jenkins said.

"Okay." John said his voice broken and hollow.

A few hours later John was sitting on the couch in their New York apartment he was reeling from what he'd just been told. Gordon and Alan came though the door laughing, their laughter died as soon as they saw the look on John's face.

"You okay Johnny?" Gordon asked. John shook his head.

"What's wrong?" Alan asked, John didn't answer.

"John?" Gordon said.  
>"It's back." He whispered.<p>

"What's back?" Alan said. Gordon thought for a second then his eyes widened.

"Oh shit. How bad is it?" he asked sitting beside John.  
>"It's still in the early stages." John said,<p>

"When do you start treatment?" he asked.

"2 weeks." he said. Alan finally understood what was going on, he sat down next to him and lay his head on John's shoulder. He was scared of losing John, he could barely remember the last time John was ill (only being 7) but he knew how much John had gone though. John rubbed his younger brothers shoulders, he needed them there. The door opened and Virgil and Scott entered. See the look on their brothers faces they knew.

"It's back isn't it?" Scott said.

"Yeah." John said. Scott and Virgil walked over to them and pulled them into a group hug. John placed his head on Scott's shoulder, he needed the comfort his elder brother gave to him. Scott say this and rubbed his younger brother's back trying to calm the fears that were building. Once they released each other John sat back down and wrapped his arms around a pillow. He was scared about what could happen. Around 20 minutes later the boys were watching some movie when their father came home.

"Hello boys." he said placing his briefcase down. Jeff went and sat on the armrest next to John. "You okay son?" he asked. John didn't answer he just moved so his head was against his leg. Jeff ran his fingers though John's hair. It was going to be alright, he hopes.


	3. A Chance Meeting

A few days later John was sitting in a bookshop/coffee shop reading a book about the people being murdered in England, it wasn't that interesting but it took his mind off things. After about 5 minutes he but the book down and closed his eyes.

"Not that interesting, I guess?" a voice said. John opened his eyes to see a candy red haired women sitting at the next table.

"Not really, I'm John, John Tracy." he said.

"I'm Maddie, Madeleine Harrison." she said.

"It's nice to meet you Maddie. So what do you like to read?" They talked for hours and learned a lot about each other, Maddie liked crime novels and love stories while John liked astronomy books and Sci-Fi, Maddie was a senior at Juilliard studying Dance and Music and she knew Virgil, she was the one he'd gone to see. When they had finished talking they arranged to meet for dinner that night. John walked home smiling for the first time in days. The smile lasted until he got home, were it soon fell. He walked in to see his younger brothers fighting over something. Before he got a chance to talk his father entered to room looking mad.

"Boys what's going on?" he yelled.

"He started it Dad." Alan said.

"Did not." Gordon said pushing Alan slightly. This caused the younger boy to tackle Gordon, this was where John intervened. He pulled the two apart earning him a elbow to the gut from Alan. He doubled over slightly, it hurt.

"Sorry Johnny didn't mean to hurt you." Alan said panicking.

"I'm fine but why are you fighting." He asked straightening up.

"He took my I-Pod again." Alan said.

"Did not." Gordon said staring at the floor.

"Give it back." John said before walking off. He ended up in the bathroom leaning over the sink, getting elbowed in the stomach didn't agree with him. He heard a knock on the bathroom door and his father poked his head around the door.

"You okay son?" he asked.

"Yeah just a bit painful." he said turning to look at his dad, tears were brimming in his eyes from the pain.

"You sure?" he asked.

"Yeah just not used to getting elbowed in the gut." he said.

"Okay." he said.

John moved to leave the bathroom when he turned to his dad with the smile back on his face.

"I'm going out to night, just thought you would like to know." he said.

"With who?" his father asked as the re-entered the living area.  
>"A girl I met at a coffee shop earlier." he said.<br>"Does she know?" he asked.

"It not something you bring up when you first meet someone." he said.

"I can't get a date but the one with cancer can." Gordon muttered to himself, earning him a smack to the back of the head from Scott who had just entered the room with Virgil.

"What's her name?" Scott asked.

"Madeline Harrison." he said, this caught Virgil by surprise.

"You're going on a date with my friend Maddie." he said shocked.

"Yeah, she's really nice." he said getting a bottle of water.

"John are you sure about this." his father said. John slammed his hand on the table, causing his family to jump.

"I'm not an invalid, I'm not dying and I don't need you telling me what I can and can't do because I have cancer. When I was 15 I took my SATs while I had cancer and I did very well on them. I'm fine and I want to live my life the same way I used to." he said before leaving. When he entered his room he lay on his bed and sighed, he hated the way his family treated him when he was sick. A knock on his door drew his attention. His father came in and sat beside him.

"I'm sorry son, I just worry about you." he said running his fingers though his blond hair. It was the way he calmed his second son, thought soon he wouldn't be able to.

"I know dad, I know." he whispered.

Later that night John was sitting in a restaurant laughing with Maddie. She was fun and see made all of his worries and fears wash away. She was beautiful, her smile lit up the room. But John knew that it wouldn't last, in less than a week he started his treatment and that was too much for anyone to deal with. John had decided not to tell her until he had too and he would give her the choice to leave him.

"So what do you do?" she asked.

"I used to work for NASA but now I write but that's pretty much it." he said. "How long have you known Virgil?"

"A few years, we met at a musical work shop a Juilliard." she said. They talked for another hour before taking a walk down 5th Avenue.

"So, can I ask what is this?" Maddie asked, this question threw John.

"I...I don't know what do you want it to be." he said a little off guard

"I don't know I like you, but do you like me?" she asked.

"I like you too." he said before leaning in and kissing her. This kiss was gentle but passionate. After they parted it hit John what he had said, he had 6 days before his world would crash down with a simple needle going into his arm and pumping his body full of a vile red liquid and he'd just pulled Maddie down with him.

"I've to get going." she said placing a kiss on his cheek before getting a taxi and leaving. John started to walk home. He got about 2 blocks before his felt like he was going to pass out. That was the problem these days he tried out quickly. He sat on a bench and pulled out his phone and called Mary, his father's assistant and told her to to sent a car to his current location, the always had a car at the ready if one of them was in need of it. About 10 minutes later a black Bentley pulled up and a man exited and opened the back door, John smiled and nodded at the man before entering the car.

John leaned back in his seat and sighed, tonight hadn't gone as he had planned, he wasn't meant to get attached to her but now he was falling in love with the red haired beauty. _Shit_ he thought.


End file.
